Costa Rica, a small country in Central America, is renowned for its rich bio-diversity. This country boasts one of the greatest varieties of plant and animal on the world. It is not only a vacation destination rather it is more than that. There are majestic volcanoes, amazing river valleys, misty cloud forests and hundreds of beaches along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Costa Rica has something to please everyone from adventure activities, wildlife encounters, surfing, Yoga retreats to bird watching. There are plenty of excellent reasons to visit wonderful, charming, glorious country. Here goes 10 reasons you should visit Costa Rica:

Adventure:

People who are thrill-seeker, they will find plenty of options in Costa Rica. This country is an adventure lover’s dream destination. Many adventure activities offer a fun adrenaline rush as well as great opportunities to enjoy watching the beautiful landscape. You can enjoy flying over the jungle canopy, zooming through muddy roads on an ATV, whitewater rafting on world class rapids, kayaking, scuba diving, sky diving, horseback riding and many more.

Beaches:

With almost 1,000 miles of coastline, Costa Rica has some lovely beaches to visit and enjoy a variety of water activities. People who want to enjoy tranquil time, they will like to lazing on the soft sands. Crystal clear waters are safe for enjoying swimming. There you can enjoy a variety of water sports like surfing, diving and snorkeling. If you choose Caribbean side, you will be delighted by visiting different beaches such as Gandoca, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo. If you choose Pacific coast, you will fin Jaco beach that is one of the party destination of the country. Sand of the beaches are different in colors like white, brown or black. You will find some beaches are full off rocks or shells and some are clean and has fine fluffy sands. Beaches are also different with their waves whether some are ideal for surfing, some are perfect only for swimming.

Biodiversity:

Costa Rica is staggeringly diverse and it represents barely 0.3% of the earth’s total surface area and houses 5% of the global biodiversity. 4% of the world’s total species are live in this small country. Thirteen thousands plant species, about 870 types of bird species, 163 varieties of amphibians, 1600 species of fresh and salt-water fish, 220 types of reptiles, and 2,000 moth and 4,500 butterfly species are founded here. National parks and other protected reserves include around 25% of the land of Costa Rica. Among ecologists Corcovado National Park is internationally renowned for its biodiversity. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has about 2,000 plant species and is home to 400 types of birds and more than 100 species of mammals. 320 species of birds, white-throated capuchin and howler monkeys, a variety of reptiles, the two-toed sloth and three-toed sloth are founded in Tortuguero National Park.

Culture:

Just like the natural beauty, this country also has beautiful culture. In its capital, San Jose, half of the population lives. In this city you will find most of the heritage of Costa Rica including major monuments, museums, major churches, universities and many more. Costa Rica’s most important archaeological site, Guayabo National Monument features a 700-year old aqueduct that is still functional. You can also visit Museum of Popular Culture in the city of Heredia. The national religion is Catholicism as determined by the constitution of 1949.

Food:

Costa Rica has its own tastes like any other country. Costa Rican food is ideal for anyone even for those who have any special dietary needs. In this country for making the breads instead of flour, cornmeal are used. Black beans and rice are the staple of most diets. A sauce called Lizano Salsa is used for a lot of its main dishes. Costa Rica is also a huge grower of bananas, coffee and chocolate. You can visit Quepos and enjoy a tour at Villa Vanilla farms where you can get opportunity to see the process of making chocolate as well as pepper, vanilla, cinnamon and more. In Costa Rica you will also find an abundance of unique crops that are rare in many other parts of the world.

Rainforests:

Costa Rica is a rich bio-diverse country with its misty cool cloud forests, tropical rainforests and abundant of wild animals as well as plenty of different species of plants. Nature lovers will find so many amazing places to go for walking and explore the natural beauty of the rainforests as well as its abundant wild life. Birdwatchers can also go to the rainforests and with the help of an expert guide they can spot different species of colorful birds.

Volcanoes:

In Costa Rica, there are more 200 volcanic formations and five listed volcanoes. These volcanoes make the soil fertile and helps making it exuberant and full of life. Not only the volcanoes are the attractions to the tourists rather the surrounding areas are renowned for offering plenty of options to choose from and enjoy many adventure activities. Nestled in the Northern zone of Costa Rica, Arenal volcano is over 5,500 feet tall. Lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, several national parks of the country feature a volcano that attracts the tourists more. The tallest volcano of the country is Irazu that is very active and towers 11,259 feet above sea level.

Weather:

Costa Rican are blessed with almost perfect weather all year round. This tropical country has two distinct season-dry and wet. Dry season is the best time to enjoy a vacation in Costa Rica. This season lasts from December to May and it is ideally sunny and hot little to no showers. With thundering showers the rainy season is from May to November. During this season the prices are lower and the rain allows the hot temperatures to cool during day and night at ideal for those who prefer rain.

Wildlife:

In Costa Rica there are critters and animals. If you walk through rainforest trails, you will get the opportunity to spot sloth, howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, many types of reptiles and amphibians, huge spiders, venomous and non-venomous snakes and also glass frogs. You can also go for night walk and find the wild animals that only come out at night. Costa Rica is also a Paradise for the bird watchers as there are over 812 different species of colorful birds. You can also go for witnessing thousands of turtles come out from the ocean to lay their eggs in the sand.

Yoga:

Costa Rica is a great place for enjoying Yoga vacation. There are many Yoga retreat centers that offers Yoga sessions, workshops, Yoga teacher training programs. Many of the centers also offers Yoga packages including comfortable accommodation facilities, meals, tours and activities. Some yoga centers also offers volunteer projects that will make your vacation more enjoyable. Some centers are nestled close to the beach and some are set in mountain in a natural setting. Some of the centers also offers Surfing sessions with Yoga. You can take any Yoga lesson and find yourself refreshed, rejuvenated and energetic.